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Odisha Part 8: The Parasurameshwara Temple, Bhubaneshwar

The Parasurameshwara temple is one of the oldest temples in Bhubaneshwar, dating back to the early 8 th century CE. It is also one of the more intriguing temples, with a wide variety of very interesting sculptures. This temple has been attributed to the Shailodbhavas , who were Shaivites. The dynasty is named for their founder, Shailodbhava, who is said to have emerged from a rock, by the grace of Lord Shiva, in response to a prayer by a man from Kalinga, to create a man capable of ruling the earth. That this temple is dedicated to Shiva is clear, not only from the Shaiva dwarapalas who guard the entrance, but also from the numerous sculptures depicting Shiva in his many forms. However, what makes this temple very interesting is the presence of multiple images of the goddesses, especially the Saptamatrikas. The presence of different forms of the goddess, a panel depicting the marriage of Shiva and Parvati, as well as an image of Ardhanareeshwara suggest a strong Shakta influence o...
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Bringing Ganesha Home

Ganesh Chaturthi is here, and all around me yesterday were people bringing their Ganesha home.


Usually this is a time when my home is buzzing with activity, but this year I have a break since we can not perform the puja. I am planning to visit a few pandals around our home, though, so will try to post more photos....

P.S. Incidentally, I just realised that this is my 555th post on the blog!!
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Location: kelwa beach

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  1. MridulaSeptember 20, 2012 at 8:39 PM

    Lovely capture Anu!

    ReplyDelete
  2. ArtiSeptember 20, 2012 at 9:18 PM

    Ah, Anu... I was eagerly waiting for your Ganpati celebrations post. But never mind, will definitely enjoy my pandal hopping with you :) I am also looking forward to covering a bit of the festivities.

    PS: Congratulations! 555 is huge. You have been an inspiration to me since long. Keep blogging :)

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    Replies
    1. Anuradha ShankarSeptember 20, 2012 at 9:25 PM

      Thanks so much, Arti! Looking forward to reading your ganpati blogs now!

      Delete
  3. ZephyrSeptember 21, 2012 at 8:12 AM

    Wish you many more such milestones. I Can't even imagine that figure. Truly mind boggling. And hey, did you notice that boggling is an anagram of blogging? :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anuradha ShankarSeptember 21, 2012 at 8:32 AM

      Thanks so much, Zephyr!! Actually, I have been trying to increase that figure by posting daily, but every time I try, I end up not writing for the whole month!!! as to the anagram, wow!! trust you to come up with something like this!! had never noticed it before!!!

      Delete

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